US seeks more NATO help on Katrina

[Menydh]

US seeks more NATO help on Katrina

Reuters
September 8, 2005

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States asked NATO on Thursday for help in transporting European aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina amid concern that assistance is not getting through to the devastated region quickly enough.

U.S. ambassador Victoria Nuland asked allies at an emergency meeting to study "a stronger logistical and transport role" for the 26-nation defense alliance in shifting the mass of pledged European humanitarian aid, NATO and U.S. officials said.

"Especially heavy sea-lift may be used," said one NATO official, who requested anonymity. Some airlift assistance was also being examined.

NATO ambassadors were expected to take a decision on the request on Friday, and a mission could be mobilised within three to five days of an agreement on what was to be transported.

"There was broad support for this in the meeting today," a U.S. mission spokesman said.

NATO, together with the European Union, is already acting as a clearing house for European offers of help to Katrina victims ranging from medical supplies, tents, water purification and high-speed pumps to diapers, gloves and coats.

Some European officials have cited snags in getting the aid through. One Swedish plane laden with aid was kept waiting this week because it lacked approval to land in the United States.

NATO nations have a number of "roll-on roll-off" ships suitable for delivering bulky equipment.

The mission would be an early test of the alliance's much-heralded NATO Response Force (NRF), a rapid reaction fighting unit created to allow it deploy in trouble zones across the globe within a matter of days.


[source]

[Carnyx]

More? Why not Cuba?

[Menydh]

I wonder about the ethics of demanding military transport to NATO for the transportation of help, when the US has plenty of military transport occupied in devastating a country.

Some European officials have cited snags in getting the aid through. One Swedish plane laden with aid was kept waiting this week because it lacked approval to land in the United States.

Sounds like a third world country.

Donor countries should deploy observers in the area to make sure that the help given reaches the people, and it doesn't "get lost" through the channels.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Duchemin

More? Why not Cuba?

Did you read the article (in Spanish) from Granma that I put in the archives of the staff section?

A bit long, but I should translate some of it.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

Did you read the article (in Spanish) from Granma that I put in the archives of the staff section?

A bit long, but I should translate some of it.

I saw it but didn't read yet.

[Dr. Solar Wolff]

Hey---WAKE UP----the same guy who masterminded the Iraq War is now calling the shots in relief aid for New Orleans. I couldn't trust this guy with going to the market and buying food for his family--even with a shopping list let alone the shopping list for a city in disaster. This guy is exactly as he appears to be --a total moron. Nobody is in charge in New Orleans---nobody is making rational decisions---nobody, nobody, nobody!

Please let me remind you that this same "nobody" has his finger on the world's biggest nuclear trigger. Are you awake yet? WE all are in a world of hurt, not just New Orleans.